Problems with system after system restore

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  1. Posts : 31
    Windows 7 Professional 64-bit
       #1

    Problems with system after system restore


    Hello. I have been running a system with an SSD as my boot drive, and a junction pointing to a User folder on a HDD. This was working flawlessly.

    Yesterday I was having problems with my audio, and since the system was still on warranty, I contacted Dell support. The person there eventually took control of my machine and tried several things with the audio drivers, to no avail. He then decided to restore to a point a couple of days earlier. Disaster ensued.

    When rebooting after the restore, I received the "Temporary User Profile" message. The restore had corrupted my user account is some way. Since then I have tried many suggestions to correct the problem. The latest was to create a new account and, while still in the administrator account (so there was no User folder yet for the new account), create a junction between C:\Users\newaccount and F:\Users\newaccount, where I had copied the files from the corrupt user account, following instructions from Microsoft's site.

    The junction was successfully created. There is now a junction labeled "newaccount" in C:\Users, and when I open that junction in Explorer, I see the contents of F:\Users\newaccount. This looks exactly like the arrangement I had with my old user account before it was corrupted.

    However, when I log out of the administrator account and into Newuser, the system creates another new account named Newuser-computername, where computername is the name assigned to the PC when installing Windows 7. The junction that created the C:\Users\newaccount is apparently ignored. The login screen accepts Newuser as the account name, but it dows not seem to be using that account. It certainly is not accessing the account info pointed to by the junction.

    All of my files, desktop, documents, etc. are still on my F: drive. In fact there are now two copies, since I copied them into the Newaccount folder.

    Is there any way to make a user account (new or existing) on my SDD see and use an existing user folder on my HDD?
      My Computer

  2.    #2

    My advice is to back up your files to do a Clean Reinstall - Factory OEM Windows 7
    with all other HD's unplugged. Stick with only the tools and methods in tutorial to assure a perfect install.

    Then afterwards plug back in the HD, in Win7 click on the User folders on HD to add to the related Library - Include a Folder - Windows 7 Forums .

    This avoids many problems we've encountered linking the User folders in other ways.
      My Computer


  3. Posts : 7,055
    Windows 7 Home Premium 32 bit
       #3

    Since your DELL is still under warranty, I would suggest that you get the DELL OEM Reinstall DVD which they send free of cost.

    A clean install with DELL OEM Reinstall Disk, will auto-activate and will come in handy even if you lose the COA sticker on the machine.

    https://support.dell.com/support/top.../backupcd_form
      My Computer


  4. Posts : 21,004
    Desk1 7 Home Prem / Desk2 10 Pro / Main lap Asus ROG 10 Pro 2 laptop Toshiba 7 Pro Asus P2520 7 & 10
       #4

    jumanji said:
    Since your DELL is still under warranty, I would suggest that you get the DELL OEM Reinstall DVD which they send free of cost.

    A clean install with DELL OEM Reinstall Disk, will auto-activate and will come in handy even if you lose the COA sticker on the machine.

    https://support.dell.com/support/top.../backupcd_form
    Hum jumanji I wonder if that machine has a factory default key? From a distant memory I think it was F8 on power up.
      My Computer


  5. Posts : 7,055
    Windows 7 Home Premium 32 bit
       #5

    ^ You are referring to restoring the original factory image (complete with all laden crapware) from the recovery partition.

    A clean install with DELL OEM Reinstall DVD - the regular media plus the all-language pack - does not require one to know the OEM_SLP key since it already packs it alongwith the digiatally signed MS certificate necessary for offline activation in conjunction with the SLIC on the machine.
      My Computer


  6. Posts : 31
    Windows 7 Professional 64-bit
    Thread Starter
       #6

    Thanks for the advice on the OEM reinstall. When I installed the SSD I upgraded the OS to 64-bit from 32-bit. This computer is employer-owned, and we have a site license for Windows, so it cost me nothing to do this. I suspect that if Dell were to provide a disc, it would be the original 32-bit version.
    Last edited by pknight; 18 Nov 2012 at 12:14.
      My Computer


  7. Posts : 7,055
    Windows 7 Home Premium 32 bit
       #7

    pknight said:
    Thanks for the advice on the OEM reinstall. When I installed the SDD I upgraded the OS to 64-bit from 32-bit. This computer is employer-owned, and we have a site license for Windows, so it cost me nothing to do this. I suspect that if Dell were to provide a disc, it would be the original 32-bit version.
    You are right. As far as consumer PCs are concerned DELL will only send the DVD of the Windows preinstalled on it normally. On special request they may send the 64bit version too since it employs the same OEM-SLP key and certificate and the machine embedded SLIC will authenticate it - means it will also auto activate.

    Since you say it is employer-owned and you have a site licence, it may not be using the OEM-SLP key. And then normally in the case of a company, only the authorised administrator is empowered to make any changes consistent with the company policy. So I would desist giving any recommendation on it.

    It will be best that you talk it over to DELL Tech Support on the 64bit media - if you are still interested in it - with all facts in your case.
      My Computer


  8. Posts : 31
    Windows 7 Professional 64-bit
    Thread Starter
       #8

    Thanks again. I will talk to Dell about this in any case. I know I can reinstall on our site license, but we are running short on licensed activations, and if I can get Dell to provide the disc, that will help.
      My Computer


  9. Posts : 7,055
    Windows 7 Home Premium 32 bit
       #9

    OK. You may also confirm from DELL Tech Support whether the machines supplied to your company, carry the embedded SLIC. Without that neither the 32bit OEM disk nor the 64bit OEM disk will auto-activate.
      My Computer

  10.    #10

    Is there a COA sticker for Win7 on the PC?

    If so you've got everything needed in Clean Reinstall - Factory OEM Windows 7 which includes the installer for your licensed version.

    But I would discuss this first with your company IT as they may have media or prefer another method.
      My Computer


 
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